Attention all Knifemakers!.....Product dealers/retailers and/or knife makers/sharpeners/hobbyists (etc) are not permitted to insert business related text/videos/images (company/company name/product references) and/or links into your signature line, your homepage url (within the homepage profile box), within any posts, within your avatar, nor anywhere else on this site. Market research (such as asking questions regarding or referring to products/services that you make/offer for sale or posting pictures of finished projects) is prohibited. These features are reserved for supporting vendors and hobbyists.....Also, there is no need to announce to the community that you are a knifemaker unless you're trying to sell something so please refrain from sharing.
Thanks for your co-operation!

If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Thanks! However, I'm not looking to use it as a chef's knife but to use it for specific vegetable tasks where it would provide better more precise cuts (scallions on bias, very fine chiffonade, cutting chives very finely etc.). Would this knife not be good for these types of tasks? I think he is cutting scallions in the video above with a usuba isn't he? I'm not going to use it for chopping or speeding through heavy prep (thats what my wustohf is for) just for the more delicate things, especially those things that end up on the plate as garnish where a cleaner cut looks better.

The Usuba is fine for the things you want to use it for; however it is a knife that requires different technique and skill than you're probably used to. It is like a chef's knife in that regard. Watch some videos ask some questions to guys like Jon @ JKI, be patient and realize if you want to use a Usuba you'll need an entirely new skill set.

If you NEED the knife, I'd probably suggest getting a double beveled knife but if you are looking to have fun and try something interesting, I'd encourage you to go get whatever you want as long as you're prepared to lose some money on the investment.

Give a Tojiro ITK Nakiri A go. I use it regularly for veg prep. With the Nakiri and my gyutos I am able to do very fine work for garnish as well as hammer through cases and cases of prep. Plated banquets for 500 anyone..

Thanks! However, I'm not looking to use it as a chef's knife but to use it for specific vegetable tasks where it would provide better more precise cuts (scallions on bias, very fine chiffonade, cutting chives very finely etc.). Would this knife not be good for these types of tasks? I think he is cutting scallions in the video above with a usuba isn't he? I'm not going to use it for chopping or speeding through heavy prep (thats what my wustohf is for) just for the more delicate things, especially those things that end up on the plate as garnish where a cleaner cut looks better.

I'm a Usuba fan. The way the shave garlic has to been seen to believed. Absolutely true about different technique, stance and grip but its not that different. Very fun knife to use. I use it for herbs too. The motion is not that hard to learn with practice. nakiri's are more all purpose but will be harder to achieve usuba thinness.

Schanop, We'll the verdict is still out. I sent them to Dave for some of his sharpening magic. We'll the show never got off the ground. Dave basically told me that my Usuba and Deba were built like Chinese knock-offs. All-be-it $250--300 knock-offs. He went as far as to say "if you can, return them." Oh he was willing to work on them, for around $150 to sharpen each blade might be more he said. I also sent him my Mori Nakiri. You may have seen the thread on that one "Moritaka--How Long." Thats m knife.

So I asked Dave to return all of the knives to me, unsharpened. Then I e-mailed Mark at CKTG to ask "what the hell." As usual Mark had quick customer-satisfying answer to my woes. 1.) said he could fix the Moritaka regardless of suspect holes in the side bevels. Second he said that he would have one of his guys work on my single bevels too. So i'm going to send them out to Mark's guy for the sharpening. And he isn't going to charge me $150 each knife to sharpen them, more like $20 a blade. To be honest, I more than disappointed with the service I got from Dave Martell. I'll post updates after I get them back and try to get some videos out too. Mark said that he has sold over 1000 Moritaka's and has only had a couple returned. He even offered to take mine back ( a year of owning them). Thats someone that cares about their customer and stands behind what they sell. Probably get kicked off this board for saying this stuff but its true.

before you send them on to Mrk, why don't you ask to see if there is an unbiased 3rd party that would look at your knives to confirm or refute Dave's claims? I'm sure there are plenty of people who would help you out.

Originally Posted by Mucho Bocho

Schanop, We'll the verdict is still out. I sent them to Dave for some of his sharpening magic. We'll the show never got off the ground. Dave basically told me that my Usuba and Deba were built like Chinese knock-offs. All-be-it $250--300 knock-offs. He went as far as to say "if you can, return them." Oh he was willing to work on them, for around $150 to sharpen each blade might be more he said. I also sent him my Mori Nakiri. You may have seen the thread on that one "Moritaka--How Long." Thats m knife.

So I asked Dave to return all of the knives to me, unsharpened. Then I e-mailed Mark at CKTG to ask "what the hell." As usual Mark had quick customer-satisfying answer to my woes. 1.) said he could fix the Moritaka regardless of suspect holes in the side bevels. Second he said that he would have one of his guys work on my single bevels too. So i'm going to send them out to Mark's guy for the sharpening. And he isn't going to charge me $150 each knife to sharpen them, more like $20 a blade. To be honest, I more than disappointed with the service I got from Dave Martell. I'll post updates after I get them back and try to get some videos out too. Mark said that he has sold over 1000 Moritaka's and has only had a couple returned. He even offered to take mine back ( a year of owning them). Thats someone that cares about their customer and stands behind what they sell. Probably get kicked off this board for saying this stuff but its true.